Jenniffer González-Colón Introduces Bill to Make Puerto Rico a State by 2021

Jenniffer González-Colón introduced the Puerto Rico Admission Act of 2018, seeking to propel Puerto Rico’s journey towards statehood. 34 members of Congress are cosponsors of the bill. Wide support for the bill results from the inequality seen in the aid provided to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Irma and Maria. After the transitions toward statehood are made, the President of the United States would admit Puerto Rico as a state by January 1, 2021.

US Military Discriminates Against American Samoans

New Trump order discriminates against US servicemen and women born in American Samoa, lawyer says https://t.co/z69vhBvYac

The Trump administration ordered that all American Samoan born officers who are not US citizens must gain citizenship, otherwise the officers will lose their jobs. Leiataua Charles Ala’ilima is a lawyer representing American Samoans who are trying to gain birthright citizenship. He argues that the officers should not have to naturalise in order to keep their jobs.

Last Abortion Provider in Guam Retires

Dr. William Freeman, Guam’s only abortion provider since 2016, retired on June 1, leaving Guam without a legal abortion provider. Legally, abortions can be performed within the first 13 weeks of pregnancy. If the child has a serious mental or physical defect or the pregnancy was a result of rape, abortions can be performed in the first 26 weeks. Because of the lack of providers, many worry that women will go take great risks and measures to get legal or illegal abortions.

Northern Mariana Islands US Workforce Act Passes Senate

The Northern Mariana Islands US Workforce Act of 2018 passed the Senate and is headed towards the President to become a law. The bill extends the Transitional Worker permit program through 2029 and encourages the growth of CNMI’s workforce.

Virgin Islands Government Suspected of Mishandling Money for Hurricane Victims

Governor Kenneth Mapp created the Hurricane Recovery and Resilience Task Force in order to restore island infractstructure, but details about the group have been hidden from the public. The number of members and the source and amount of money going to the members is unknown. Mapp also gave money from the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands to private radio, possibly to air political advertisements.

Senate Democrats Ask FEMA to Extend Shelters

Senate Democrats sent a letter to FEMA asking for a 60-day extension of the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program in Puerto Rico. FEMA’s relief program was set to end on Saturday. About 5,000 people still have no electricity, and blue tarps cover many of the homes.

About The Author

Mina Choe is a Film and Digital Media and Politics double major at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She worked at a student blog program for a year and wrote her own satirical, art, and poetry columns. She has extensive knowledge in using and managing social media accounts in both recreational and professional settings. Her main goal is to help journalism transition from the press to various digital platforms, especially making use of the reach of social media. Mina also wants to help create a platform on which the people's voices can be heard. She is a former Social Media Assistant Editor at Pasquines.